Back To Work
by Dustfingers-Angel
Summary: (Featuring my OC) Sherlock takes Charlie to a crime scene to see if she's ready to starting working cases again. Part of my Charlie James series, set long before they meet John. Disclaimer; I don't own Sherlock
1. Back To Work

"Sherlock" I muttered, "I'm really not sure about this any more"

"There won't be a problem. Lestrade knows you're helpful to me"

"No, Sherlock. I just… don't think it's a… good idea"

He frowned at me, "What on Earth for? You have a brilliant mind, Charlie, just because you're a little out of practice shouldn't-"

"_No_, Sherlock. It's not that. I don't doubt my ability and I'm fully aware that I'm going to need to get back into it if I'm going to continue, but…" I swallowed, licked and bit my lip then sighed as I looked out of the taxi window.

He softly said "But… it's a reminder of your life before"

"Yes" I breathed.

Sherlock's hand covered mine; he wrapped his finger around my hand and held it there on my lap, "It will be fine. This is your chance; a new start – in their honour."

I clenched my teeth. The image of the twins smiling plastered itself to the forefront of my mind - God I missed them. Taking a deep breath I stared down at our hands. My voice began to waver, "What if it's too much?"

"Then we'll wait until you're ready"

"What if I'm never ready?" I asked quickly.

"The look on your face when I asked you to come with me told me that that isn't something I'll have to worry about" he rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand.

I laughed weakly, "You're not right 100% of the time you know"

With a slightly resentful huff, he replied, "99.9"

"I'd say 95%" Sherlock looked down at me, a smart response on the tip of his tongue, but he held it back. He smiled and I took a more comfortable hold of his hand, interlocking our fingers.

"You'll do perfectly – I've come to count on it" he told me firmly.

A blush came over my cheeks and I smiled widely, "Thank you, Sherlock"

"There's no need to thank me, I was just telling my honest opinion. You did a marvellous job before you even met me"

I sighed in amusement, "Shut up, Sherlock"

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Sherlock lifted the crime scene tape with confidence, holding it for me to follow. I stepped in close beside him – the crime scenes I had visited before sprung into my mind, hundreds of them, but it had been so many years now – I was afraid it had been _too_ long.

I kept my head down, sticking close to Sherlock as every eye fell on us. We made our way down the side street towards Greg Lestrade who was standing over the partially covered corpse: female, early twenties, prostitute, cause of death – blunt force trauma to the back of the head, seventh of its kind in the last four months, pattern dictates there should be another with two weeks.

I cleared my throat to get Greg's attention but Sherlock was quicker. "Detective Inspector" he addressed. I was fully aware that Sherlock worked with Lestrade previously but it didn't stop me from feeling like we were invading.

"Sherlock… and Charlie" the DI looked from Sherlock to me and back again, "Sherlock, seriously? I've get enough hassle letting you into crime scenes, now you're bringing Charlie here too? She's only sixteen, you _do_ understand that?"

"Seventeen" I muttered. Sherlock smirked.

Greg frowned, "What?"

I looked up, standing taller, "I'm seventeen now"

The older man sighed, "The pair of you are too young for this." He growled in irritation "Charlie, look – you shouldn't be here, you know how much it took for me to get you cold cases-"

"Of course I do, but you forget that several years ago I worked crime scenes – if you think I'm young _now_ you should have seen me _then_"

"Lestrade" Sherlock interjected calmly, "I have the utmost confidence in Miss Young; if anything she does is dissatisfactory I will take full responsibility. Now, will you let us take a look?"

The DI stood silent before sighing with mild exasperation, "Fine – you have fifteen minutes." Shaking his head he walked away.

We waited for a moment in silence until Greg was out of ear shot. Sherlock chuckled, "What did I tell you?"

"_There won't be a problem_"

"Exactly" we moved around the crime scene as we spoke, "you always worry these days"

"How about you live my life _then_ criticize me for being cautious" I told him.

"I know" he replied soothingly, "I'm sorry, I know. How did you sleep last night?"

I bit my tongue as we circled back round to the body, "I thought I said not to ask"

"You did, but I still maintain that your phrasing of that request sounded more like a suggestion that an order"

"Oh, so you're taking orders now?"

"Did I say that?"

"You implied"

"Implication and confirmation are not the same thing"

"Pah, technicalities"

He chuckled, "So – your analysis please?" I crouched beside the corpse, before looking up to him, mildly reluctant. "Go on, it's been a while but I'm sure you of all people have retained your talent"

I took a breath, nodded, "We're looking for a man, white, mid to late twenties, physically strong but a coward, no kind of combat training, probably using a length of pipe for a weapon, lives within the kill zone, draws little attention… is that…is that right?"

"That's good. _Race_?"

"Probability based on his comfort zone"

"I was just making sure you weren't _guessing_" he smirked and crouched beside me, close. "Well done, I know that was hard for you" Sherlock smiled reassuringly at me, "So, do you think you would consider doing this regularly again? With me?" gently he placed his hand over mine again; we were close enough for nobody else to see.

"I think… given time, I could brush off the cobwebs and get back up to standards"

"You appear to be perfectly up to scratch. So…?"

"So yes, Sherlock, I think I'll start working with you" We stood, smirks playing on our lips, "Time?"

"Seven minutes, twenty three seconds"

I laughed.


	2. index

This story is one of a series. In chronological order they are:

- Back to Work

- Save Me from my Nightmares

- New Year

- Lazy Morning

- Tragedy Shaped Her

- An Average Day in 221B

- Christmas Isn't What It Used To Be

- Left Broken by his Fall

I'll update this as more are published :)


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